Mass. chef kicks off annual Heirloom Tomato Celebration

Wednesday

Aug 29, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2012 at 8:36 PM

Ettore’s aversion for out-of-season tomatoes inspired him to create a special five-course menu, using different heirloom tomatoes for each course. This year marks the chef’s seventh annual Heirloom Tomato Celebration, which takes place Sept. 5 to Sept. 29.

Nicholas Iovino

Nowadays, people can find tomatoes any time of year, but at Bistro 5 in West Medford, Mass., Chef Vittorio Ettore only serves them in September.

“The tomato is a beautiful fruit,” says Ettore, “but it’s only good when it’s in season.”

Ettore’s aversion for out-of-season tomatoes inspired him to create a special five-course menu, using different heirloom tomatoes for each course. This year marks the chef’s seventh annual Heirloom Tomato Celebration, which takes place Sept. 5 to Sept. 29.

Ettore defines heirloom tomatoes as those that sprout from untouched seeds, the kind passed down through the generations unaltered. He says while many people expect tomatoes to look alike, each heirloom has a distinct shape, color and flavor.

“This is the way tomatoes are supposed to be,” says Ettore. “Cut into them and water comes out. They are tasty and juicy.”

The vine tomatoes found year round at the grocery store are often genetically altered, he says, which is why they look the same and don’t taste as good.

The chef still makes sauce with imported canned tomatoes in the off season, but he only orders his heirlooms from local farms. This year, the tomatoes hail from Kimball Farm in Westford, Mass.; Grateful Farm in Franklin, Mass.; and other nearby, organic growers.

The chef also grows basil, tomatoes and peppers in a long window box stretching along the side of Bistro 5.

Ettore can chart the distinct qualities of each heirloom tomato. For example, he says the speckled Roman is earthier, has more body and is good for sauces. Meanwhile, the pineapple tomato is a little sweeter. Other heirlooms Ettore cooks with include the Cherokee, mortgage lifter, lemon boy and red and green zebras.

The menu

On Aug. 22, Ettore hosted a special evening to preview some of his new heirloom tomato dishes. However, he warns changes throughout the course of September.

Guests started the evening by sampling the chef’s gazpacho, made with Cherokee tomatoes, peppers, onions, chives and a jalapeno sorbet.

The chef whisks tomato water over ice and drizzles it around the gazpacho to create the cappuccino-like effect.

The second dish, potted tomato panzanella, includes a mozzarella balloon stuffed with pineapple tomato salad, sticking out of some black “soil” made with olives and breadcrumbs.

“Every year, I try to step it up,” says Ettore of the inventive tomato dishes.

The third course was heirloom tomato risotto, made with lemon boy tomatoes, goat cheese and crispy prosciutto crumbs.

Wine pairings constitute another important facet of the tomato celebration. Ettore says he tries to pair more rounded wines with dishes that include more acidic tomatoes.

For the chef’s fourth course, Rohan duck breast, Ettore recommends a more “jammy” wine, meaning one with a richer taste and sweeter finish.

When preparing the duck, Ettore roasts a speckled Roman tomato, then smokes it. He then mashes the tomato into crème brulee, bakes it in a jar, sprinkles sugar on top, burns the sugar and throws in some smoked salt to add an extra effect before tightening the lid.

Earlier in the day, Ettore spent four hours trying to shape a tomato out of sugar. He was planning to create a new dessert called “tomotina,” named after the famous tomato festival in eastern Spain, where thousands of people throw tomatoes at each other.